Happy Holidays!
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Volume 4 December 2011 The Official Organ of CAW Local 584 - Brampton PDC Happy Holidays! Editors: Mark Machado, John McCloskey Editorial Committee: Kim Timmins, Chris Brookbanks, Dave Champagne. CHAIRPERSONS REPORT Gary Rumboldt plant in Windsor and two parts contract very carefully and is looking U.A.W Agreement Update depots. We just recently lost an at calling a special leadership assembly plant in St.Thomas putting meeting in the New Year to go over As most of you are all aware now the 1200 members out of a job. The CAW the UAW agreement. Your leadership U.A.W ratified a four year contract is focused on protecting the jobs we expects to gain valuable information with the Ford Motor Company with currently have, and want a that we can share with our members 63% in favour by production workers, commitment from Ford for future to prepare us going into bargaining. and 65% by skilled trade workers. investment in our facilities. Brother We will also be handing out the The UAW/Ford agreement promises Lewenza was quoted as saying that contract proposals at around the a $4.8 billion investment in the U.S this UAW agreement will put added same time and urge all of our which will create 6000 new jobs pressure on the CAW leadership, but members to fill them out and submit across the border. They will also don’t forget we make $15,000 more a them to us. Your input is of great receive a $6000 bonus plus an year in wages, and lumps sum importance to us. annual lump sum bonus of $1500. payments and profit sharing gain you For a Local update I have also put a The new jobs will have a new starting nothing. Since the UAW has agreed copy of my November report on our rate at $15.51/hour- almost half of a to profit sharing, they have only website if anyone is interested in regular hourly UAW wage. gotten two cheques in 15 years. reading it. So what does this mean for the Slashing Canadian wages will not http://cawlocal584.org/index.html C.A.W? The good news is that jobs keep jobs in this country since they I want to wish everyone a safe and are moving from Mexico, Japan and only make up 7% of the cost of a happy holiday, and wish you nothing China not Canada. The bad news is, vehicle. The government must step in but the best in 2012. we no longer have an auto pact and with legislative measures that compel continue to have a dollar that remains auto companies that sell vehicles in In Solidarity at par with the US dollar. In Canada this country to also produce in Gary Rumboldt we have one auto-assembly Canada. operation in Oakville and an engine The CAW leadership is analyzing this PRESIDENTS REPORT Dave Champagne Another busy few months have Grand Marquis and the Lincoln Town important auto assembly plants in passed since our last issue of the Car, and efforts by the CAW to attract Canada. Given the restructuring we Partsline. We’ve welcomed 13 new additional investment and/or product, were facing at Bramalea, we are transfers from the recently closed the St. Thomas Assembly Plant proud of our ability to negotiate St.Thomas Assembly Plant, seen officially ceased production on thirteen preferential hiring provincial elections take place, September 16, 2011. The plant was opportunities for laid off members of continued attacks on working people opened as a direct result of the Local 1520. Please join me in by the right- wing, and the rise of a successful negotiation of the 1965 welcoming our recent transfers and fight back across the globe by Auto Pact that required producing ensure that their transition to life at frustrated citizens. one vehicle for every vehicle sold in Bramalea is as smooth as possible. Canada. With the closure, production ST. THOMAS ASSEMBY PLANT at Ford has now slipped to fifth place PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS CLOSURE among the auto manufacturing On October 6th, Ontarians went to Since 2005 bargaining, the Ford companies operating in Canada, the polls to elect the new Provincial Motor Company had been trailing Chrysler, GM, Toyota, and Government, and in what has to be threatening the closure of the Honda. There is no better example considered a stunning reversal of assembly plant in St.Thomas. of the need for our government to fortunes, Premier McGuinty was Despite a high quality workforce, legislate a proactive auto policy, to successful in being re-elected. At the continued demand for the Crown Vic, ensure the survival of our hugely outset of the campaign, Tim Hudak's Conservatives were poised to unseat MOVEMBER JACK LAYTON the Liberals and form a majority Last year, several members of CAW On August 22nd of this year, the government. The Liberals were Local 584 took part in the prostate labour movement, and all working elected to 53 seats, just one seat shy cancer awareness initiative, Canadians, lost one of its loudest of what they needed for a majority, Movember. This year, the campaign voices when NDP leader, Jack with the Conservatives taking 37 and took on added significance, with our Layton, lost his battle with prostate the NDP with 17. In a history making Chairperson, Brother Kim Clout, cancer. For years, the federal NDP race, Bramalea, Gore-Malton elected currently battling stage four prostate was forced to stand on the periphery its first ever NDP MLA. CAW cancer. In support of Kim, a of the Canadian political scene, trying endorsed Jagmeet Singh, who fell challenge was issued to our desperately to deliver the message just 600 votes short in his bid for the membership to grow a moustache for that a better Canada was possible. federal seat, was successful in the month and collect donations for Under the leadership of Layton in this knocking off Liberal incumbent, prostate cancer research. I am proud year’s elections, the NDP was Kuldip Kular. Premier McGuinty has to say that, once again, our members elevated to Official Opposition status rejected the idea of a coalition responded with enthusiasm, to a for the first time in its history. I had government, however, support from challenge. With the expanded the pleasure of meeting with Layton the NDP will be crucial in passing numbers this year, we are confident at the CAW UPC Convention in legislation has Andrea Horwath that we will be successful in March of this year. To say that Jack’s made it clear in her acceptance dramatically increasing the donation enthusiasm and commitment to speech that she will be using the Team CAW Local 584 made last year. working on behalf of all working balance of power that the NDP holds I would like to thank all those who Canadians would be an as a way of getting policy for average agreed to risk personal ridicule and understatement. In his final letter to working people. It should be the ire of their families to sport facial Canadians, Jack reminded us that, interesting to watch how things unfold hair and those that donated to this “love is better than anger. Hope is at Queen's Park. very worthy cause. better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, BROTHER CLOUT UNITED WAY hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll On a regular basis, the leadership is Every year in September, the United change the world.” Jack Layton will asked how Brother Clout’s battle with Way launches its annual fundraising be sadly missed. prostate cancer is going and I would campaign at workplaces around the like to provide information on recent Peel Region. With the continued UAW/FORD BARGAINING developments. In early November, global economic uncertainty, the CAW members in the Ford chain Kim underwent a battery of tests to strain on the United Way and its 50+ watched with interest as UAW monitor the progression of his funded agencies has been bargaining with Ford took place in the disease. Unfortunately, the latest tremendous. The goal set for the United States. At first glance, the results provide very little in the way of campaign in Peel Region this year recently signed agreement between good news. Although a recent CAT has been set at $14M. Unfortunately, the UAW and Ford looks to provide a scan confirmed that his organs for the past several years, the good template for 2012 bargaining remain cancer free, there has been a workplace campaign here at here in Canada. The UAW was significant spike in his PSA levels. It Bramalea had slipped by the successful in winning over $12,000 in appears as though the current wayside. To try and rejuvenate our bonuses in the life of the agreement hormone therapy and chemotherapy campaign, Local 584 negotiated paid and modest improvements to the two- that he is receiving are doing little to time for one of our members to tier wage system agreed to in earlier slow the progression of the cancer personally canvass everyone in the UAW bargaining. Looking deeper at through his bones. On November 17, warehouse and speak about the the agreement, however, raises Kim underwent radiation therapy for benefits of the United Way in our serious concerns about 2012 his shoulder to try and ease some of community. I am pleased to report bargaining in Canada. Although there his pain. Additionally, he is scheduled that the change was helpful in were some improvements, absent to begin a clinical trial of producing an increase of almost 15% from the agreement are annual wage chemotherapy on November 30th in in our donations this year.